As of this writing, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a 9-13 win-loss record. That puts them dead last in the Northwest Division and in 13th place in the Western Conference. They have blown hot and cold so far, though, winning two of their last four games. That said, OKC has had a number of bright spots. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a world-beater so far, while Josh Giddey has also impressed. They aren't title contenders this season by any stretch, but they have some great young pieces for the years to come. One hole they need to fill, though, is up front, where they could surely benefit from having a more solid guy in the middle.

Here we will look at the one Oklahoma City Thunder player who must be part of a deal before the 2022-23 season trade deadline.

Mike Muscala of the Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are a bit of a confusing team right now. We're not sure if they want to tank for Victor Wembanyama or if they want to make a run for the NBA Play-In Tournament. They're sitting outside of the West's top 10, but they're also not exactly scraping the bottom of the barrel with the likes of Magic, Pistons, Spurs, and Rockets. It sure looks like even without Chet Holmgren, this team is simply too good to tank.

Having said that, perhaps parting ways with veteran big man Mike Muscala would actually help the Thunder make a better play for Wemby next year. Remember that Muscala has the ability to stretch the floor and challenge shots near the rim. That's a potentially valuable skill set come the trade deadline. Looking ahead long-term, doing so would also hasten the Thunder's efforts to add at least one more great young talent to the mix in 2023.

At 31 years old, Muscala is the team's most senior member. The next oldest guy is Kenrich Williams at 28 — another “tradeable piece” to be quite frank. What might make Muscala a viable trade piece is the scarcity of seasoned backup centers that can stretch the floor. Remember that before re-signing with OKC, Muscala actually garnered interest from more than a handful of teams during free agency.

Looking ahead to the trade deadline, we see the Thunder having a few potential suitors for Muscala's services.

At the top of the list would be the Golden State Warriors. This is one team with whom the Thunder may do the trade deadline dance as OKC may pursue James Wiseman.

The young big man is not looking ready to contribute to a championship-caliber team right now. However, being part of the Thunder can benefit him and the team quite well. It's easy to see Wiseman developing in OKC's system together with Holmgren in the years to come.

Remember also that the aforementioned Holmgren is still sidelined for the season due to a foot injury. This means that Wiseman can get the opportunity to showcase his tantalizing potential. This also makes sense for the Thunder since they do not even need to match wages. Take note that Wiseman's $9.6 million contract can be absorbed into the Thunder's $10.2 million trade exception.

In exchange, Golden State gains a veteran big man in Muscala, who can defend and shoot threes. If the Thunder add a pick, that will spice things up even more. It would also give more motivation for the Dubs to pull the trigger on a deal.

Another potential target is Atlanta's John Collins.

Assuming the Thunder actually DO NOT want to tank anymore and just maximize their current roster for a Play-In Tournament run, they can go after someone like Collins. Why? Well, given Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP-caliber performance and the fact that other young players in the rotation are also playing pretty well. Why waste this potentially good season, right? Get a proven sweet-shooting big to complement SGA and Giddey now. And then Collins could also complement Holmgren in the years to come. The Hawks big man is basically an ideal fit if OKC decides to look for a rebuild accelerator.

It's very easy to imagine Collins relieving some of SGA's scoring load. He can also bury lob passes from Giddey. Next year, he can then camp in the corner as Holmgren takes the helm. It's also a little-known fact that Collins is only a year older than SGA. If the Thunder do this trade, those two guys can potentially hit their stride at the same time and help steer this group into a truly bright future.

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Muscala could then benefit the Hawks by relieving them of Collins' contract while still retaining some shooting and inside presence.

Boston is a third option. The Celtics may want a frontcourt upgrade to help ease the burden on starting center Robert Williams III's frequently injured legs. Enter Muscala, who could help with that.

We're not saying the Celtics have many flaws, of course. Boston is not perfect, but they're as close as they come. Having said that, adding a seasoned big man who can spread the floor and play both frontline positions would not hurt, right?

Remember that over the last three seasons, Muscala has hit 38.9 percent of his three-point attempts. This season, his numbers are a bit down, but with a team like the Celtics, he can easily jack those percentages up. Boston would not even have to send any salary back because Muscala's $3.5 million contract could be absorbed into the Celtics' trade exceptions.

Muscala's abilities as a capable shooter and passer would be a good fit in the type of role he would be expected to play in Boston. He would surely be more than capable of filling in for both Horford and Williams III in a pinch.